Heartbeat City: Cruising With The Cars

Personally, when I listen to the sound the Boston-based band The Cars were putting out in the late 70s - early 80s, I am convinced they've never really been equalled. Their music still sounds fresh, the eclectic mix of synthesizers, keyboards, guitars and whimsical lyrics evoking the avant garde on the artistic edge image that they fostered, with obvious parallels to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. "Heartbeat City" is no exception with its abstract cover art and Warholian photos of the band.

Plaintive keyboards and rhythmic tape loops are the key elements of "Hello Again", perfectly matched with Ric Ocasek's jaded vocals, punctuated by inventive synthesizer riffs as well.
" Magic" is an anthem to the electricity of attraction, showcasing Elliottt Easton's penetrating guitar riffs enveloped in techno effects. Ben Orr's mournful vocal is the focal point of "Drive", a paean to a troubled lover, the low key musical background mirroring his sense of loss and grief.

The most haunting cut on the album is "It's Not The Night". The fragile blend of cascading keyboards and strident guitar give an almost ethereal tone to the song. The tenuous nature of the melody seems to collapse and re-form as the song progresses, leaving an almost mystical riff to trail off at the very end, the kind of signature that sticks in your mind. "Why Can't I Have You?" is in a similar vein. "You Might Think" is a bouncy, cheerful assertion of affection, echoing the Cars' earlier crowd pleasers "Let The Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" and the ultimate bar tune "You're All I've Got Tonight."

I know that half the reason I like the band so much is misplaced nostalgia for the 70s. Nevertheless, the Cars blend of decisive hipness and multi-layered mixes makes them stand alone.